Acclaimed trumpeter Marsalis composes Blues Symphony

[Franco]

In keeping with a career that spans jazz, classical music, band leadership and high-profile advocacy for the arts, Marsalis' symphony is epic in scope -- to celebrate American history from Revolution to the present through the blues.

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at Morehouse College in Atlanta will perform the symphony in January at Morehouse College in Atlanta as part of annual events for Martin Luther King day. They performed two of its movements in November.

RTRH

[bhodges]

Well, I'm intrigued.  I don't recall hearing any of Marsalis's compositions, but I do like his playing.

--Bruce

[karlhenning]

Well, I'm intrigued.  I don't recall hearing any of Marsalis's compositions, but I do like his playing.

Nor even his Pulitzer-winner, Bruce?

[bhodges]

Nor even his Pulitzer-winner, Bruce?

Don't recall hearing it, no--and of course, I love jazz, so...  

Have you heard that?  (Or anything else of his?)

--Bruce

[karlhenning]

I don't think I've heard even excerpts from Blood on the Fields . . . and indeed, it is only now (interest piqued to check at wikipedia) that I learn that it is a three-&-a-half-hour piece.  So I guess no performance of it has been mounted in Boston, yet, at any rate.

[Franco]

Blood on the Fields is a very interesting work and shows Marsalis to be someone very capable of  bringing a jazz perspective to fully realized classical composition.   I have the recording made when it first premiered, which, I think, is the only one.

This Blues Symphony will be another piece I will be interested in hearing.

[greg]

Great player, don't care much for his compositions though, which more often than not is a hodge-podge of his heroes etc. If you go to youtube and run a search, you can see videos of him sittin' at the piano & talkin' about all the movements of it, they've been up for awhile now...

So, I looked up the videos and was pleasantly surprised. Most of what he played sounds interesting, especially the ragtime stuff from the 3rd Movement. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch/v/-OtYluSWJtw&feature=related

For some reason, I thought it was hilarious when (I think near the end) he said, "My dad told me never to play the piano... and here I am... such a shame."

[Franco]

His father, Ellis Marsalis, is a legendary New Orleans jazz pianist, which, I assume, is why he said that.

[karlhenning]

I'll be interested to hear the Blues Symphony.

In principle, I'm mildly interested in the prize-winning oratorio.  Especially at that length, though, I fear to approach it as a boxed CD, lest I fail to give it due attention.  And it seems that a live performance may not be within my reach anytime soon.

[PerfectWagnerite]

Not interested, I don't like jazz.

[jochanaan]

Not interested, I don't like jazz.

I do, and I am, and I love Marsalis' playing!

[greg]

His father, Ellis Marsalis, is a legendary New Orleans jazz pianist, which, I assume, is why he said that.

Well, that puts it into context a bit...

[MN Dave]

I've found that blues via orchestra does (do?) not work well for me.

[Grazioso]

You guys should listen to Wynton's "Live at Blues Alley", SICK album. 

Not to mention his brother Branford! check out 'The Beautiful Ones are Not Yet Born', or 'Bloomington'...

I'll second that. (And those albums share the same monster drummer, Jeff "Tain" Watts, one of the greatest working today.)

[jochanaan]

I've found that blues via orchestra does (do?) not work well for me.

It does if the players let themselves swing.  It's not a question of chops--those folks in the top orchestras have them to burn!--but of a certain relaxation in the playing style.  Leonard Bernstein was great at getting classical players to swing.